


H2H

by writersneverdie



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Restaurant, Boating, Lake Minnetonka, M/M, Minnesota
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-27
Updated: 2013-02-27
Packaged: 2017-12-03 19:51:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/701968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writersneverdie/pseuds/writersneverdie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Patrick's a bartender and Jonny's a chef at a lake shore restaurant on Lake Minnetonka in suburban Minneapolis. Kaner likes to party and is kind of an asshole, especially to Jonny who kind of loves him anyways. But, Jonny wants to know why Patrick won't tell anyone why he moved it MN. Then, they have a heart to heart.</p>
            </blockquote>





	H2H

Patrick stands in front of the washer slowly filling up the cap with detergent. His mom taught him one thing about doing laundry and that was to never put in too much soap. He can picture her standing in front of the washer in the cold basement letting small drops of blue detergent fall into the cap until it was exactly to the line. She would then pour in the soap, circling the machine, getting all the soap out then throwing the cap in to get clean with their clothes.

The soap is as close to the line as Patrick is going to get it so he imitates the movement his mother use to make pouring the detergent onto his clothes with perfect execution. If his mom could see him now she would be proud.

His phone rings when he’s walking away from the laundry room. It’s Segs.

“Hey buddy.”

“Kanerrrr, what’s up on this fine Saturday afternoon?”

“Not too much. Doing some laundry.”

“Congratulations.”

“Well, thank you, thank you.”

“So you got anything real to do today? Or is the laundry going to keep you busy?”

“It’s going to keep me busy until we have to work tonight but you could come hang here if you are looking for something to do.”

“As great as that sounds, I think I might be going out on the boat with Ty.”

“Yea? Fishing or just boating?”

“Boating. Maybe tubing.”

“Nice, bro.”

“Yea, but since you’re busy with your laundry, I guess I will just see you at work tonight.”

“Yea, see ya.”

Kaner hangs up and heads to the couch. He thinks about making himself a sandwich but is going to wait until he switches the clothes to the dryer.

Five minutes later his phone rings again, it’s Sharpy.

“Little man, sorry I haven’t gotten back to your text, my baby literally threw up all over my phone the minute I looked at it.”

“Ah, ew. But, that’s alright, no biggie. So you’re on baby duty today?”

“Yes, sir. Just me and my daughter for the day.”

“What a dad that little one has.”

“Damn straight. We’ve already done the alphabet and counted to 10 and then she puked everywhere because she started daycare this week, because of my promotion, and now she’s going to be sick for the next two months they tell me.”

“Shit, that sucks. At least she’s cute?”

“At least her mom’s cute because, otherwise, I never would have been talked into letting her be gone all day without us.”

“Well, I would invite the two of you over but I can’t afford to get sick and miss any work.”

“Yea, no, of course. She’s fucking miserable anyways. Just kind of laying on the bed and puking and shit. But, I will be at work tonight.”

“Sweet wash your hands after you leave the house. And, like, your everything else.”

“Yea, yea, bye Kaner.”

He’s halfway through the dry cycle and all the way done with his sandwich when his phone rings again. It’s Jonny.

Kaner answers the phone with a sense of both surprise and dread.

“Hey, Jon. What’s, uh, up, dude?”

“Hey Kaner.”

“Hey, bro, what’s going on?”

“Did you get this invite for the boat with the Tylers?”

“Yea, but I’m doing laundry.”

“You’re doing laundry.”

“Yea. And you can’t just leave clothes in the washer. That’s just not right.”

“Kaner, none of your clothes stay clean for more than 10 minutes, bud.”

“That’s not true.”

“Ah, yes, it is.”

“Whatever, man, I have a demanding job.”

“You’re a bartender. You literally mix drinks for people and then hand them to them.”

“Shut the fuck up, Jonny. Why are you calling again?”

“Wow, easy, bud. Just a nice little chirp. Fuck.”

“So, Mr. Restaurant, all important cooker of food, what the fuck do you want?”

“I just wanted to see if maybe you wanted to go out on the boat with the Tylers but I guess you’re busy with your laundry.”

“Yea, sorry, maybe next time.”

“Yea, yea, I’ll see you at work tonight.”

“Bye Jon.”

~~~~

When he walks into the restaurant it is mostly empty. A few of the afternoon regulars at the bar, a table of 4 in the back, but not much else going on. It’s the calm before the dinner storm.

He walks through the kitchen towards the staff lounge. Jonny’s there, he always comes a half hour before he has to, chopping vegetables. He raises the knife in his hand in greeting and goes back to his chopping. 

Patrick makes it back to the staff locker room and begins to get ready. A few minutes later Segs busts in laughing.

“Fucking Tazer-what a hoot,” he says in Kaner’s general direction. “Get your laundry done?”

Patrick finishes changing his shoes and says, “Yea, how was the boat?”

“Fucking great,” Tyler says taking his tank top off. His skin has a pink sun tint and Kaner is having trouble looking away from the freckles that have appeared across Segs’s collar bones. “We’re planning on doing a little night boating tonight after we get cut-what time you done? You’re not closing right?”

He manages to pull himself away from Segs’s abs because the other Tyler walks in and slaps Segs across the ass. Segs turns around and blows him a kiss.

“I am off first.”

“Great, that means you have to come out with us, Kaner. You have to. Now that your laundry is done and everything.”

“Yea, yea. I will come.”

Tyler chimes in with, “Invite Jonny, too. He only seems to come if he gets a personal invitation from our little Kaner.”

Patrick pushes Tyler’s shoulder as he walks past him out of the locker room, “I’ll try. Get ready for a big party, boys!”

~~~~

It’s a typical Friday night and Kaner spends his time slinging drinks and flirting with anything with a heartbeat. He’s fucking great at his job and he feels good here, at home. It took awhile, after he moved to Minneapolis, but he found a place he feels like he belongs. The people he has met have become his makeshift family, too. Sharpy, the Tylers, they’re good people and Kaner is glad to have them.

Near the end of his shift he walks back to the kitchen to grab the clean glasses from the dishwasher. Jonny is back there, alone, cleaning out the pans.

“You know we have people for that, right?”

Jonny looks up at him with pink cheeks and tired eyes. “Yea, I just scorched this one so I thought it was my responsibility to soak it.”

Kaner gives Jonny a smile. “So, the Tylers are going out on the lake for round 2 after they get off. Shouldn’t be much longer. You down?”

“I’m pretty beat, Pat.” He does look run-down. Must have been a hard night because his chef coat has grease stains on it and Jonny is usually super anal about cleanliness.

“Come on, Jon, it will help you relax. Take a load off.”

“Who’s coming? Is this a party all night with Kaner and Segs or...”

“Nah, just me and the Tylers so far. Sharpy’s kid is sick. No other invitees that I know of so far.”

“You promise?” He’s finished scrubbing the pan and adds it to the pile with all the others.

“I give you my word,” Kaner says. He’s got the palate of glasses and begins to walk out of the kitchen. “I’m going to tell them you’re coming.”

“Yea, yea,” Jonny says walking across the kitchen towards the locker room.

~~~~

Patrick finishes up with the current orders, takes the trash out and restocks the glasses. He cashes out with Sharpy and heads to the locker room. Segs and Tyler had been cut a half hour ago and went to the store to stock up on some liquor. He told Jonny and Kaner to meet them at the dock when they were done.

Jonny insists on driving even though Kaner said they should both drive their cars to the dock.

“Kaner, come on, that’s a waste. I can either drop you off at yours or bring you back here.”

“But, being in the car with you is a special kind of torture, Jonny, so,” Patrick says but gets into Jonny’s car anyways. He’ll probably just spend the night on the boat anyways.

When they make it to the dock Segs and Tyler both have a beer in hand. Segs has got his shirt off and is basking in the articifical light on the end of the boat.

“How can you be shirtless with all these mosquitoes?” Jonny asks after he gets out of the car.

“Ty bought one of the citronella candles at the store-seems to be working so far. Plus, it’s fucking hot as balls out here, man.”

Jonny and Kaner make their way down the dock and onto the boat. It is fucking hot and Patrick wants to take his shirt off, too. But, he has to bat a mosquito off of Jonny’s arm so he rethinks.

Once they are all seated and comfortable Tyler sits down behind the steering wheel and says, “Where to, boys? Lake Minnetonka is beneath us, we have a full tank of gas and the night is young.”

Kaner looks over to Jonny who is nursing a beer out of a red plastic cup and looking out over the water. He looks content out here on the water. He knows that Jonny loves it out here, it’s one of the biggest reasons he moved here. He jumps at any opportunity he can to get out on Segs’ boat.

Last summer, the summer of party, Jonny would come party with them most nights. It wasn’t always on the boat. Sometimes it happened in someone’s backyard or at someone’s cabin on a weekend off. Segs, Tyler and Kaner spent almost every waking moment not at the restaurant living in some state of party. It was awesome, mostly. This summer is different though.

“Maybe we should just scoot around to the other side of the bay, eh?” Jonny says taking another slow slip of his beer.

Segs nods his head and Kaner mimics him. Tyler says, “Well alright then boys,” and starts up the boat. Segs unties the boat and Patrick takes a seat next to Jonny on the bench at the front of the boat.

It takes about 15 minutes to jet to the other side of the bay and when they get close Tyler stops the boat and throws the anchor in.

“Make sure you speak up if you see a cop,” Segs says pouring another beer into a plastic cup. Tyler comes up from the back of boat and sits down on the bench next to Segs, putting his arm around him.

“That citronella is really working, huh?” Tyler says, quietly, just to Segs. He fits himself in next to Tyler like that is exactly where he belongs.

“So far, so good.”

“Hey Kaner,” Jonny says a moment later, “see that light out there on that dock?” Kaner nods his head yes. “That’s where I use to work when I first moved here. Filled up boats and shit.”

“Huh,” Kaner says.

They sit in silence for a while, staring out over the calm expanse of Lake Minnetonka. Kaner was amazed the first time he came here with how big this lake was. Minnesota had an insane amount of water but this lake was something else. It spanned so many towns and had so many bays and islands. When he started working at the restaurant and found out that the charming waiter had a boat on the lake he knew he had to befriend the guy instantly. They became quick friends because Segs loved to party even more than he did and he didn’t think that was even possible.

They’ve worked hard and partied harder for the last two years but they’ve started to take it easy this summer. Last summer kind of got a little bit out of control and Kaner has been making a conscience effort to be better.

Segs and Tyler are comfortably cuddled up and talking about something Kaner can’t hear. They look so fucking happy and picturesque. It makes Kaner smile because he’s glad he gets to witness something so fucking simple and loving. Because Segs is flirty as fuck but he always ends the night next to Tyler. And Tyler knows that and doesn’t for a second stop Segs from doing Segs and what Segs loves the most, everyone knows, is Tyler.

A breeze comes up off the lake and it makes the hair on Patricks body stand up. He sees Tazer react, as well. “Fucking perfect summer night, eh?”

“It’s nights like these that I am reminded why I left Winnipeg for this,” Jonny says shifting to look at Kaner.

“Fucking right,” Kaner says back.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Sure, Jonny, what is it?”

“I know you moved here because you wanted a new start and shit but, like, what was so bad that you had to get away from?”

“Look, Jonny,” Kaner says and then pauses. He doesn’t usually say much about his backstory, about why he’s in Minnesota, but this is Jonny.

“Patrick, you don’t have to. I just, you know, care.”  
“You know last summer, Jonny, after everything. With us.” Jonny nods his head. “And how I was a lying asshole,”

“And I was an overbearing freak,” Jonny pops in.

“No, like, no. Jonny let that go. Because you care, like you just said. You care and sometimes you get a little bit crazy about it but that’s you, Jonny. Like, you cut cucumbers in the same exact way every time and if they aren’t perfect you throw them away and that’s fucking crazy Jonny but they are fucking perfect on a salad.”

Kaner shifts so he is sitting with his body facing Jonny. “And, like, that’s kind of what’s so great about you, Jonny. Like, to you, you’re going to do whatever you do the best, but there is also another part of you, Jonny, where like you also want the people around you to be their best.”

“This isn’t about me right now, Kaner.”

Patrick reaches out and puts his hand on Jonny’s thigh. “Just let me get there because I am getting there. What I am trying to say is that you are this person, Jonny, who just tries his best and it’s, like, that simple to you. But, nothing in my life has been simple, ever.”  
___________________

Last Summer

It’s Monday night but it’s 4th of July week so this party is fucking raging. He’s standing in some rich kids back yard a few blocks off the lake. The kid is somehow related to one of the guys on the 1980 Miracle on Ice team who started some real estate company but he doesn’t remember who or how they’re related. It’s early, but he’s fucking drunk because he started this party taking a few too many shots. The fact that Sharpy and Abby are still there means that it’s not even 11 o’clock yet so, he starts to think he should have paced himself. But it’s the fucking 4th of July week and if he started snooping around this magical house he might actually find a gold medal so fuck feeling bad about it.

He is standing by the fire chatting with the new busboy. There are a couple of other people around roasting marshmallows and staring into the fire looking for the meaning of life. The busboy is telling him about his high school prom prank when he feels a strong arm put itself around his shoulder. He doesn’t even have to look to know it’s Jonny.

“They are having a 90’s dance party downstairs,” Jonny pants into his ear. Pat can tell he’s fairly drunk, too and it makes him smile.

Patrick turns his head and licks a stripe down Jonny’s neck. It makes the busboy walk away and Jonny make the best kitten noise so, mission accomplished.

“Are you asking me to dance, Tazer?”

“No, I am here to roast some marshmallows-just thought you would be interested.” They are swaying together to the cracks of the fire.

“I could roast it for you,” Patrick says kissing Jonny on his flushed cheek.

“You always fucking burn them, so no thanks, you’re going to miss the dance party.”

Patrick nudges Jonny’s arm off his shoulder and pecks Jonny quickly on the lips before walking away.

~~~~

The 4th is a Wednesday and he wakes up in Jonny’s bed on the morning of Independence. Jonny’s not next to him in bed but Pat’s nose is telling him that he’s cooking breakfast. He leans out over the bed to look for his pants. Once he locates them the pulls them towards him and fishes his phone out of his pocket.

He’s got a text from Segs that reads: fireworks at Ty’s be there by noon.

He gets out of Jonny’s bed and pulls his boxers on. He walks into the kitchen where Jonny is standing over the stove similarly dressed. Pat sits down at the table and pours himself a cup of coffee from the pot sitting in the middle of the table.

A moment later there’s a plate set in front of him full of breakfast food. Jonny cooks for a living but that doesn’t stop him from bringing his amazing work home.

“Happy 4th of July,” Jonny says as he sits down.

“Thanks for breakfast,” Pat says in response.

“You ready for some great Lake Minnetonka fishing?”

Patrick had promised Jonny that he would go fishing with him on their day off a few weeks ago. They had gone out to dinner, just the two of them, at this place downtown because Sharpy had give Patrick the free dinner voucher they had sent the restaurant in the mail. He told him he could only have it if he took Jonny because, “He fucking deserves to be taken out to dinner for willingly spending multiple nights with you.” He agreed even though his mind was shouting at him ‘no.’

“I, ah, can’t go fishing today,” Patrick says after downing half his cup of coffee.

“But,”

“I forgot I told Segs and Brownie that I would help them dock boats all day down at the Bay since the restaurant is closed.”

“Oh, really? They didn’t mention anything to me about it,” Jonny says looking dejected.

“Yea, because you never shut up about you’re fucking 4th of July fishing tradition,” Patrick says hoping to make the look go away a little bit.

“So, you’re not coming fishing with me?”

“Sorry man, can’t make it.”

Patrick decides to leave after breakfast and shower back at his place. He jumps in the car and heads over to Tyler’s. He stops at one of the fireworks tents set up in the parking lot of the grocery store to pick up some of his favorite explosives.

When he gets there Segs asks him why he didn’t bring Tazer along because he loves to blow shit up more than anyone and Patrick tells them he tried but Jonny was in a bad mood. Segs believes his lie just as easily as Jonny did.

~~~~

When Jonny shows up at Brownie’s later that night because he got a text from Segs he asks him how docking the boat’s went and Segs looks at him real confused, “What the fuck are you talking about, Taze?”

Jonny looks over to Patrick who ducks his head quickly avoiding Jonny’s gaze.

“We’ve just been blowing shit up all day!” Segs says to Jonny grabbing him a beer from the cooler. “Pat said you weren’t interested.”

“Yea, he said that?”

Jonny looks over at him and Pat’s flight instinct kicks into overdrive. He doesn’t have to walk away, though, because Jonny does those honors.  
________________

Jonny face is glowing under the floodlight of the boat. He has his summer tan and if you look close enough he’s got freckles across his nose.

“Patrick, whatever it is that has happened to you, you can tell me. We’re friends first, you know.”

“When I was 15 years old my dad died in a car accident and then, for the next 3 years my mom drank herself to death and then my grandparents came and took my sisters away with them and so I moved here and I try not to think about it.” He spits it out fast and furious and has to fight the urge to not jump over the side of the boat the moment he is done.

Jonny grabs his hand like he knows that Patrick wants to jump. “I’m so sorry, Patrick.”

“It’s fine. Don’t feel sorry for me, please.”

Tyler and Segs are full on making out Kaner notices when he looks away from Jonny for a second. This isn’t the first time he’s seen them like this and everytime he does pangs of jealousy overcome him.

He looks back to Jonny a second later and he’s looking at Patrick intently. He puts a hand up to the side of Patricks face and pulls him to him and connects their lips in a soft kiss. When he pulls away he says, “you’re a fucking dumbass. I don’t feel sorry for you, I just feel like I want to make it better.” 

Patrick sighs and says, “No.”

“No?” Jonny says back to him.

______________

2 Summers Ago

Patrick’s been working at the restaurant for a few months now. It’s exactly the lifestyle he intended to live when he moved here. Work, party, work, party, work, party and then party some more. The work is steady, the tips are good and the parties with his co-workers are fucking majestic. The allure of lakeshore suburban Minneapolis was even better than imagined.

It’s a Friday night in late May and they’ve been pretty busy the last few weekends because of some epically great weather. He enters through the front door and sees Parise sitting with some guy he’s never seen at a table near the bar. Zach isn’t around much because he’s just the owner’s son but he seems to be having an intense discussion with a really intense, but hot, guy.

He runs into Big Buff in the locker room, “Yo, Buff-just so you know Segs and I switched cut times so when you’re ready to do the first cut, I’m your man.”

“Alright, little buddy, sound goods.” Buff’s a good manager-been around forever.

“So who’s the guy with the face sitting with Parise at the bar?”

“Interviewing for the new cooking position, seems you have to bring in upper management for that kind of shit.”

“Huh,” Patrick says. He didn’t know they were even in the market for a new cook.  
~~~~

He starts the next weekend and is real formal with Patrick when they meet. Buff says, “Pat, this is the new chef, Jonathan.”

Patrick holds his hand out and Jonathan takes it firmly. “It’s nice to meet you, I’m Jonathan Toews. I look forward to working with you.”

“You can call me Kaner. Short for Patrick Kane. Nice to, ah, meet you, too.”

The guy immediately goes back to chopping the carrots with vigor. Patrick decides he needs to find some way to loosen this guy up.

~~~~  
The guy, Jonny, begins to loosen up after a few late nights out at Buff’s. He’s actually cool and can party with the rest of them once he gets out of the kitchen. He doesn’t quite keep up with him and Segs but he tries sometimes and Pat gives him some serious credit for that.

It’s at Buff’s going away party that Pat gets drunk enough to approach Jonny and say, “so I hear you’re into the D.”

Jonny, to his credit, does not throw his drink in Patrick’s face. He just pulls a face and says, “and where did you hear that from?”

“A little birdy told me.”

“A little birdy, eh?”

“Yea, but don’t worry,” Pat says and then puts his beer down on the counter. He starts to act like he’s got a bat in his hand and is stepping up to the plate. “We’re on the same team.”

Jonny raises an eyebrow at him and then says, “Easy slugger.” Pat takes that as his cue to pull Jonny into the nearest room with a bed.  
_______________

Tyler has pulled himself away from Segs and started the boat back up. He goes to pull the anchor up and Segs follows him with his eyes. He watches Tyler bend over the back of the boat and smiles wickedly before turning his attention to Pat and Jonny. Pat puts his tongue in his cheek and brings his hand up to his mouth to make a blow job motion.

“Just jealous, Kaner,” Segs yells as Tyler starts the motor.

Kaner rolls his eyes and faces outward as the boat starts moving. It’s cooled down a few degrees and the wind in his face feels good, refreshing. He thinks about asking if Jonny wants to go for a midnight swim when they make it back to the dock but he’s exhausted and Jonny probably is, too. They should just both go back to their apartments and sleep on it for a night. Jonny’s the first person Kaner has told the truth about his past and he just needs to sleep on it.

When they make it to the dock and off the boat Jonny tells Kaner he’ll drive him back to the restaurant to get his car. Pat gets into the passenger seat of Jonny’s car, puts his seatbelt on and closes his eyes.

When he opens them up again, Jonny is taking a left when he should be taking a right. “Wrong way, man.”

“You’re coming back to my place,” Jonny says.

Kaner groans and says, “I’m super tired, Jon, and I just need to sleep on it. Okay?”

“Look, Patrick, it’s my turn to fucking spill, okay? Just shut up and don’t interrupt.”

Kaner nods his head and waits.

“I’m sorry about you Mom and Dad, Kaner. That really sucks. But I am not going to throw you a fucking pity party-no one is, okay? And, you’re going to let me make it better, okay? Because, I know it might be hard to let someone get close, Patrick, but, for some god forsaken reason I am in love with you so, you have to let me try to make it better, okay? Because, I might be being a little over confident right now but I know you love me, too. And you’re not making anything better for me by lying and pushing me away, okay?”

Patrick just stare at Jonny for a minute after he stops talking. He doesn’t know what to say.

“I’m done now,” Jonny finally says.

Kaner still doesn’t say anything for another minute. His mind is both completely blank and running a million miles a minute at the same time. He looks at Jonny who is reacting to Kaner’s silence by being an overly cautious driver.

Patrick still doesn’t say anything until Jonny’s stopped the car in his driveway and puts it into park. He finally says, “Okay.”

He jumps out of the car and runs to Jonny’s side opening his door and pulling him out of his seat. Once Jonny’s out of the car, he crowds him against the door and says, “Okay, Jonny,” before pushing their lips together.

They kiss like that, against the car, hard and soft. Kaner pulls away after a minute and says, “Okay,” one more time as he pulls Jonny into his place by the hand.


End file.
